Jim Pillsbury's Web Blog

Monday, March 23, 2009

I'm not encouraging tobacco use... OK?

Now before you non smokers get on the high horse... let me please say, I don't want any child smoking anything not even tobacco. And I do hope that more of us will stop smoking commercial cigerets, especcially now, the tax increase has hit some of you smokers and some of you will soon be hit with another increase in federal tax. It's a dollar 1.00 each pack. Now we are paying a heafty price in Mass now, of 2.51 a pack.... so, some of us, pay 8 dollars a pack now. Now while that may seem "trivial" as Deval would say, but if your not working and have a habit of buying one pack a day, you now will not buy something else, to buy a pack. Or... you'll quite and save thousands, but most will pay for a pack no matter what.

Side issue... do any of you remember when the cig tax was increased, to get more money to tobacco control and cessation? That was millions and millions.. and we all said.. .that's money destined to the general fund.. and today smoking fans, hardly a dime goes to tobacco programs.

In that light, I want to post a alternative to the high taxes. I'm a customer of http://www.smokes-spirits.com. This group of Indians are affiliated with the Seneca Tribe. And of coarse, they have no obligation to pay taxes.. Thank God... so.... you can save half of what you are paying now. All you pay is for shipping ( and no State and Federal Taxes) and with that cost, I still save 40.00 a carton. OK.. I will stop, but not today.

I have no vested interest in this company, have not been paid or given free smokes. They carry organic tobacco and even smoke cessation patches... at a fraction of what they are in CVS. Kid safe web site and you pay by check. http://www.smokes-spirits.com

Deval targets pension loopholes

Reported in the Globe over the weekend was another in a long list of unethical and somewhat outrageous retirement policies while the State is awash in financial trouble. While I will never begrudge a working man his just due after 30 years on the job, the abuses never seem to stop. Moe seem to be trying to get something for nothing. Volunteering at a library is not what I call working for the pension. And Mr. Simmons, Devals pick for Stimulus Czar, is getting the most out of the system, for getting fired from the State years ago. While only 1 in every 500 employee of the 50,000 that are in the system, take home more than 100,000 a year, the continual spotlight on the abuses and years of politicians saying there would be change, it's seems very unlikely that any meaningful reform will come of this. We all know, who is making the political contributions and to whom, as we also know, the Reps from this area will never get behind any reform of any kind, including Deval, because it will mean votes in 2010. Check out on the OCPF web site (address to the left) and see if your rep gets money from the Carmens unions.

This move is more smoke and mirrors to detract us from the more serious issue of increased tolls and gas tax. He's still doing "damage control" over the resent appointment of Senator Walsh and Alisoi's sister, which he claims is trivial, but it's not trivial with the public, and he will have to account for this move later, if he doesn't stop it now.